Erik Zettler

Erik is a microbial ecologist who was a member of the scientific community in Woods Hole, USA from 1985 till 2017 when he joined NIOZ. From 1985-1994 he was at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution where he worked on open ocean picoplankton using flow cytometry as part of the team that discovered Prochlorococcus. From 1994-2016 he taught and did research at SEA Education Association, as Science Coordinator, Professor, and Associate Dean. Recent work has focused on plastic marine debris, and particularly the role of microbial biofilms on the fate of plastic in aquatic systems. Erik has participated on over 80 research cruises in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean, and Mediterranean. Whenever possible, he escapes from the computer and lab to work and teach in the field.